Globalization, by definition, is a threat to national identity. Europe is fighting it. If you aren’t familiar with the overwhelming political victories scored by Nigel Farage’s United Kingdom Independence Party or Marine Le Pen’s Front National Party it would hardly be surprising. These victories, having achieved wins over standing parties such as Tory or Labour, are either being mocked by establishment governments or are putting government officials in lather to do what they were elected to do in the first place.

The votes reflect the growing anger of Europeans. They are no longer willing to suffer globalization under the European Union and want their national identities back, thank you very much. As a result, establishment parties, right and left, got a spanking at the polls such as hasn’t been administered for 100 years. And both ends of the political spectrum are scrambling to downplay it. The media, in Europe and America, are trying to laugh off wins that are, in reality, no joke. People are mad as hell and they aren’t going to take it anymore.

Former Labor Party Prime Minister Tony Blair, dismissed UKIP voters and defended his party’s open-floodgate immigration policy in U.K.’s Mail Online: “(he) said it was wrong that the debate on the EU was dominated by ‘anti-immigrant feeling and a desire to get Britain out of Europe’. These…were ‘not 21st century answers to what is happening in the world’”.

Not to be outdone, Tory wardens, such as London mayor Boris Johnson, claimed current PM David Cameron is the true defender of England’s sovereignty. Johnson insulted voters who gave UKIP its decisive victory by calling it a “peasant’s revolt.”

Voters did not agree. UKIP made substantial inroads against both Tory and Labour strongholds. The Mail Online broke out the victory as follows: “…UKIP has 24 MEPs…Labour has 20 seats and the Tories 19 seats…”

Marine Le Pen did likewise, in France. The Daily Beast stated: “… Marine Le Pen triumphed in elections for European Parliament, and with François Hollande weakened, some are already dreading a 2017 showdown for the French presidency.”

Dubbed “eurosceptics” by the media, anti-EU seat gains were not restricted to England and France. They included the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Greece, Finland, and Hungary. Although far-right gains outnumbered those on the left, neither extreme, nor middle-of-the-roaders, were eager to entertain financial support of other nations or unrestricted immigration any longer.

What does this have to do with globalization? In growing numbers Europeans across the continent are in direct opposition to it. This diverse, populist uprising across Europe has thrown up a considerable roadblock to the multi-national promoters of globalization.

The globalization offensive is nothing new; the United Nations has long been laboring toward such an outcome. A paper titled simply “Globalization,” published by the United Nations, states: “…there is a need for more comprehensive global governance—a system of international law based on the principle of multilateralism that will spell out the ground rules for all participants in the global economy.”

Globalization always begins with economies; then it advances to national configuration. An Economist editorial made an unapologetic case for just how good Britain had it under Tony Blair, citing the tsunami of immigration into Britain not as the result of irresponsible policies but “because of demand (booming economies need new workers).” That sound familiar? UKIP and other Parties’ success delivered a long-overdue raspberry.

Well, if that last contention is true then America should be indulging in piracy, kidnapping and genocide. Then we’d fit right in. And for the record, “exceptional” and “norm” are not, in any way, equivalent.

Our media fears that anti- globalization sentiment will spread here. Neither Big Government Democrats nor Big Government Republicans want voter uprisings. Desperate to retain power they vigilantly minimize what they don’t want seen…just like their colleagues across the pond. They are way too late.

When the only difference between a rabidly-leftist Democrat Party and a largely RINO Republican Party is that Republicans wear nicer ties, pursuit of globalization against the wishes of the voters is hazardous to the establishment’s political future.
Europe has acted to wrest control from the EU. The only difference between Europeans and their American cousins is that there is no real political alternative in America. Yet.

About the author, Marilyn Assenheim: Marilyn Assenheim was born and raised in New York City. She spent a career in healthcare management although she probably should have been a casting director. Or a cowboy. A serious devotee of history and politics, Marilyn currently lives in the NYC metropolitan area. View all articles by Marilyn Assenheim

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